Things to do in Rovaniemi

Winter in Lapland is all about aurora and fun snow activities, which are huskies, reindeers, snowmobiles, and snowshoe walks. It’s not that diverse in terms of activities (although be sure you’ll enjoy them more than anything else before), but the quantity of companies offering these is enormous. Below I’ll try to focus either on those things to do in Rovaniemi where I had a direct contact with the provider and experienced the service myself, or those which seem to offer the best of all.

Aurora Hunts in Rovaniemi. Northern lights tours

Aurora chasing with a Pro – a very flexible tour with adjustable route, they’ll take you where the sky is clearer, less cloudy. The tour lasts 5-6 hours, includes a picnic with sausages and tea, transfer and warm overalls. Price – 160 EUR/person, the guides are the founders of allaboutlapland.fi magazine, book your tour by hello@allaboutlapland.fi

Aurora hunt while floating in a forest lake – you’ll be picked up in Rovaniemi, packed into a floating survival suit and enjoy the open sky just above you. Open fire and sausages with tea and you’ll be back in Rovaniemi in 3 hours. Prices: 88 EUR/adult, 45 EUR/child.

Aurora ice floating – ice floating in a high quality rescue whole body suit, which keeps you dry and warm (you need to have your own cloths as well under the suit). Duration: 3 hours, departure: 7:30 pm, prices: 92 EUR/adult and 46 EUR/child.

Aurora hunting and photography trips – from All About Lapland Magazine by Alex and Julia. Contact them for specific offers at hello@allaboutlapland.fi

12h Overnight Aurora Wagon Trip – a wagon with a panoramic window will take you through the arctic wilderness over the night in hope to see auroras. The price includes breakfast, snacks, transportation and guiding. From 316 EUR/wagon

Huskies and snowmobiles galore – a snowmobile ride from Rovaniemi to a husky farm with a 20-min husky safari afterwards. 199 EUR/adult and 100 EUR/child.

Aurora flights in Rovaniemi

Northern lights flight Rovaniemi – a flight above the clouds to reach the aurora – I would recommend it in case your forecast says about solar activity but with clouds covering the sky. The flight takes 1 h, plus 1 h for transfer and preparation, it departs from Rovaniemi airport until 31.03 and costs 399 EUR/person. Book it with wildnordic or northernlightsflight

Parasailing in spring time – a Rovaniemi sightseeing from the top, above the Ounsjoki river, being lifted up to 110m. Prices: 100 EUR/adult

Aurora hunt while floating in a forest lake – you’ll be picked up in Rovaniemi, packed into a floating survival suit and enjoy the open sky just above you. Open fire and sausages with tea and you’ll be back in Rovaniemi in 3 hours. Prices: 88 EUR/adult, 45 EUR/child.

Aurora ice floating – ice floating in a high quality rescue whole body suit, which keeps you dry and warm (you need to have your own cloths as well under the suit). Duration: 3 hours, departure: 7:30 pm, prices: 92 EUR/adult and 46 EUR/child.

Sauna, jacuzzi, hot tube and Finnish spa

Hot and Cold – Sauna and Bath in an Ice Hole – a 3h activity, includes transfers, overalls, daily at 6 pm. Prices: 99 EUR/adult and 50 EUR/child. Optionally you can add a Lappish 3-course dinner.

Traditional Smoke Wood Sauna – heated by wood like in good old days. Book at fi or heliostour.fi – Metsakyly is an Arctic Forest Spa

Sauna with ice swimming – go to the Lumberjack bridge, in Rovaniemi centre, the sauna there is hot and the swimming is icy, it’s open for tourists on Wednesdays 5:30 to 6:30 for 3 EUR

Snow sauna – which means a sauna made of snow, the steam inside is 70°C, each session is 10 min and the wall loses some 5 mm in thickness. Book it at Arctic Snow Hotel.

Sauna gondola – in Ylläs Ski Resort there is a sauna gondola which starts at the top of Ylläs, the capacity is max 4 people, one round up and down is 20 min, and the whole experience lasts for 2 hours, as it includes a jacuzzi with a fireplace back in the resort.

Santa Claus Village activities

So these are the main things you can actually do in Santa Claus Village Rovaniemi:

Meet Santa at Santa Claus Office

Send a present from Santa’s Post Office

Have a reindeer safari at Santa’s Reindeer Farm

Have a husky safari

Santapark – it’s Santa’s underground cave, where happy elves live. There are many exciting workshops for your children – like attending the elf school, learning elf-writing, play at the Angry Birds Activity area and cross the Arctic Circle in an underground route. Open daily, from 18.11 to 07.01., from 10 am to 5 pm, tickets are 27,5 EUR and 33 EUR.

Christmas activities in Rovaniemi

Christmas is Here! – experience a traditional Finnish Christmas with Happy Fox! You’ll start the activity by giving sees and food to the animals living in the farm’s forest, then you’ll enjoy hot drinks and gingerbread at the fireplace of the Fox Cottage. Afterwards you’ll make Christmas decorations or bake cookies – at your choice. You decorate the Christmas tree, and once done time for Finnish sauna – you can choose between log sauna or a barrel sauna on the frozen river and even swim in an ice hole. In the meantime Santa is almost there; once he has arrived you all sing a traditional Christmas song to him to get a present. Afterwards you’ll enjoy a traditional Finnish Christmas meal. Includes: transportation, all the above mentioned activities, warm overalls. Daily at 10:30, prices: 290 EUR/adult and 190 EUR/child

Christmas is Coming! – a bit modified activity, similar to the one above. Experience a traditional Finnish Christmas with Happy Fox! You’ll start the activity by giving sees and food to the animals living in the farm’s forest, then you’ll enjoy hot drinks and gingerbread at the fireplace of the Fox Cottage. Afterwards you’ll make Christmas decorations and bake cookies, decorate the Christmas tree and write a letter to Santa – it will be delivered by Papa Fox, his good old friend. At the end you’ll enjoy a traditional Finnish porridge, prune soup, fish, side dishes, beverages, coffee or tea. Duration: 4 hours, prices: 180 EUR/adult, 100 EUR/child. Includes transportation.

Christmas and Santa Claus in Mummola – includes picking up the Christmas tree from the forest, making Christmas decorations, heating the masonry oven, baking and cooking, sauna, buffet dinner, Santa and presents. The experience is in between 23-26.12, longer stays are also possible. You’ll enjoy Christmas in a company of a young family organizing various activities for travelers. The accommodation is in a rustic forest cottage (for 2-4 people). It’s really a possibility to live like a local for a few days during Christmas in Lapland! More info at their website!

Christmas in Countryside – visit a local sheep farm, a home museum, a hundred years old Finnish family house in Christmas decorations. You can bake together gingerbread, do some wool craft, sing songs, taste cookies and juice. Prices: 140 EUR/adult, 105 EUR/child.

Arty holidays in Lapland. Workshops and local artists

Marttiini – the first mass production of knives in Finland. Today you can buy in their shops both perfect kitchen or decorative knives with reindeer and moose horn. Factory outlets here

Taigakoru – a famous goldsmith workshop with many artistic jewellery collections like Northern light series, items with figures of animals, birds, plants, rings with gold nuggets.

Moodag – silver jewellery inspired by Lappish Nature designed by Katja Lettinen, sold in Korundi shop

Lampivaara amethyst mine in Luosto – a unique mine where amethyst digging is still done manually, without machinery. Here you’ll start from an explanation about the traditions of amethyst mining and then you’ll literally start digging. If you are successful you can take 1 amethyst stone as a trophy, if it fits your palm. In case it’s bigger, you negotiate the price with your guide. You can reach Luosto by Ski Bus departing from Rovaniemi, and then get to the mine by the Snow Train or walking with snowshoes. Check out the transportation options on their website, as well as tour schedules and ticket prices!

Antler’s workshop – a handicraft workshop where you can make your own souvenir from reindeer antler. More info here

Ice sculpting workshop – it takes place on a frozen river where you’ll have to cut out your own chunk of ice, then design your sculpture. Includes transfers, snacks and drinks at open fire, equipment. Price: 70 EUR/adult, +15 EUR for overalls (optional), book at wildaboutlapland@gmail.com

Reindeer skin mittens – made of reindeer skin, the collar is made of Finnish sheep wool, and dyed with natural plants. A perfect alternative to gloves, when you want to stay warm and stylish. Buy yours at Arktikum shop

Museums

Science Centre Pilke – located just next door to the Arktikum, here you can learn everything about Finnish forest and its’ role in the nation’s life

Korundi House of Culture – hosts the Rovaniemi art museum, where you can see the region’s contemporary artists’ works, besides that this is the place where you can buy jewellery and tableware made by local artists.

Holidays with children

Ranua Wildlife Park – a wildlife park 80km away from Rovaniemi, where you can meet polar bears, lynxes, wolves, reindeers, moose, arctic birds, foxes and many more. Tickets are 18,5 EUR/adult and 16 EUR/children, family ticket is available at 51 EUR.

Hoplop & Rollo-Halli activity parks – labyrintes, trampolines, foampits and bowls, parkour, mini-cars and many more for you and your kids. Hoplop park is dedicated to children from 0 to 12, Rollo-Halli is for kids from the age of 7, and you can leave them under the supervision on the staff. Unlimited play time tickets: adults & infants – 0 EUR, kids 1-2 yrs – 10 EUR, 3+ years – 15 EUR, entrance pass to both parks – 18 EUR.

Arctic Winter Games – transportation, snacks and hot drinks, overalls and games included. Requires a group size of min 4 people or min fee of 340 EUR. Prices: 85 EUR/adult and 55 EUR/child

Fun in Winter – an activity for the whole family, includes winter games at your choice (kick sledding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobile riding), gliding in a slide made of snow, sledding trip to Ounasjoki river with ice-fishing, sausages at open fire, overalls & transportation. Duration – 3h. Prices: 120 EUR/adult and 70 EUR/child

Winter fun activities in Rovaniemi

Arctic Winter Games – transportation, snacks and hot drinks, overalls and games included. Requires a group size of min 4 people or min fee of 340 EUR. Duration – 2h. Prices: 85 EUR/adult and 55 EUR/child

Fun in Winter – an activity for the whole family, includes winter games at your choice (kick sledding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobile riding), gliding in a slide made of snow, sledding trip to Ounasjoki river with ice-fishing, sausages at open fire, overalls & transportation. Duration – 3h. Prices: 120 EUR/adult and 70 EUR/child

Useful applications in Lapland

Reindeer bell app to prevent road accidents – in Finnish ‘Porokello’, a free app sending you a notification once you are approaching an area where reindeers were spotted recently. Download for iOS and Android